with Megalopolis Finally in theaters, the audience watched Francis Ford Coppola’s movie, but the reactions were not great. The epic sci-fi film stars Adam Driver as Caesar, who clashes with Mayor Franklin Cicere (Giancarlo Esposito) over the politics of the city’s potential as a utopia. Coppola directed his return to creating his passion project, which meant selling his winery to fund it Megalopolis‘ $120 million budget. Despite his ambitions for the project that was in development for decades, the movie was met with mixed response from critics, which led Coppola to defend it before its September release.
Now, the audience has given their verdict on MegalopolisAnd the ratings have been mixed. Per Rotten tomatoesThe Coppola movie Currently has an audience score of 40% with over 100 user ratings. That’s slightly worse than the critical score, which sits at 49% from 190 reviewers.
Why audiences and critics are not satisfied with Megalopolis
It is a confusing and bland movie.
Before Megalopolis‘ release, Coppola faced obstacles in securing a distributor before Lionsgate eventually obtained the domestic rights. The movie was considered weird and experimental, which made it a financial risk for studios. The answer was more obvious when it premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where Reviews for Megalopolis were very divided. In particular, the issues came down to the movie’s uneven tone, messy storyline and lack of cohesion, while the visuals and cinematography received praise. In addition, the genre of the movie has prompted confusion, because it goes overboard with many themes, such as revenge, romance and sci-fi.
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General audiences shared similar opinions, with many ripping the movie apart. In general, most called the Coppola film either too chaotic or boring, with many walking out midway through the movie. Most agree that the concept is ambitious but also very confusing with the many subplots and nonsensical narrative. As a result, some Rotten Tomatoes users called it one of the worst movies of 2024. It comes with a Cinemascore of D+, indicating that most audiences were not satisfied with the movie.
Our take on Megalopolis Rotten Tomatoes audience score
Ambition may have hurt Coppola’s career.
While I respect Coppola for defending his movie and taking such a huge risk, it seems that ambition got the best of him. I was really surprised at how confusingly the movie shifted from one arc to the next without providing much depth. it was more interesting in style than substanceWhich ultimately hurts the movie’s potential. Therefore, I felt that most audiences would not like the movie, but I did not imagine that many viewers would go out.
Unfortunately, it sours his directorial return, especially when he provided all-time classics like Apocalypse now And these Godfather Series. at the same time, It raises questions about the risks of self-funding movies And the message it sends to other aspiring filmmakers, with Kevin Costner enduring similar losses with Horizon: An American Saga. With an absolute $4 million opening weekend to add to the list of damage, Megalopolis will be a huge stain on Coppola’s incredible career and what could be his sad curtain call.
Source: Rotten tomatoes